OPINION: This article may contain commentary which reflects the author's opinion.
President Joe Biden has released a statement following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, though his overall approach to dealing with Moscow prior to military action has been called into question by foreign policy and national security experts.
Biden said Wednesday evening:
The prayers of the entire world are with the people of Ukraine tonight as they suffer an unprovoked and unjustified attack by Russian military forces. President Putin has chosen a premeditated war that will bring a catastrophic loss of life and human suffering. Russia alone is responsible for the death and destruction this attack will bring, and the United States and its Allies and partners will respond in a united and decisive way. The world will hold Russia accountable.
I will be monitoring the situation from the White House this evening and will continue to get regular updates from my national security team. Tomorrow, I will meet with my G7 counterparts in the morning and then speak to the American people to announce the further consequences the United States and our Allies and partners will impose on Russia for this needless act of aggression against Ukraine and global peace and security. We will also coordinate with our NATO Allies to ensure a strong, united response that deters any aggression against the Alliance. Tonight, Jill and I are praying for the brave and proud people of Ukraine.
Biden is being criticized for a number of reasons regarding the Russia-Ukraine situation, not the least of which was his pronouncement ahead of hostilities that the U.S. was not prepared to face Russian troops on the battlefield.
“We have no intention of fighting Russia,” Biden declared. “We want to send an unmistakable message, though, that the United States, together with our allies, will defend every inch of NATO territory and abide by the commitments we made to NATO.”
Just The News, in an analysis, noted:
To Americans it may have sounded like a statement of resolve. But to the trained eye, the proclamation was undercut by the fact that Ukraine — the object of Putin’s aggression — is neither a member of NATO nor in its protection zone.
While Biden’s assurance provided comfort to neighbors that are NATO members like the Czech Republic and Poland, it was taken by many in Ukraine as a final concession that Kiev was on its own and that Putin could advance his military plan with the threat of economic sanctions as the lone consequence.
“At this point, this is a problem for Eastern Europe, between Russia and the Ukraine and the rest of Europe,” retired Air Force Col. Rob Maness, a security expert, told the outlet. “It is not a NATO problem at this point, because Mr. Putin has not threatened a NATO country.
“A lot of people try to conflate Ukraine as a NATO country, they are not even close to being eligible to come into NATO, and haven’t been invited. And Mr. Biden, rightly so … he repeatedly says we will defend every inch of NATO territory, and Vladimir Putin knows that. He knows that he spends a fraction of what NATO and the United States spend on defense and we have them outnumbered, out-teched.”
Biden has also been criticized for halting construction of the Keystone XL pipeline project approved under his predecessor, Donald Trump, which would have delivered some 800,000 barrels a day to the U.S. market (the U.S. now imports about 600,000 barrels of oil per day from Russia) while signing off on the Nord Stream II pipeline from Russia to Germany and Europe.
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) told Just the News he thinks Biden set the stage for Russian aggression with the pipeline decisions followed by the chaotic and deadly U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan.
“He’s weak,” Norman said of Biden. “This would have never happened under President Trump. All we get is words from this administration.”
“Just about every action President Biden has taken has weakened America and emboldened our enemies,” added Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.). “They’re very optimistic. They’re very aggressive. When they sense weakness, they’re going to act, and that’s what we’re seeing right now.”
